[From a dear friend of mine who recently spent 4 days with me on the Peigan Reservation in Southern Alberta. I asked her to write a blog entry for me.]

Like some of you back at home, I have been wondering where is Dan - has he crossed the border yet, is he ok, how is the film going, etc? Following his blogs semi-regularily, I am under the impression that Dan may be spending more time with horses than with his camera. I was beginning to question his committment to his film. So I went to see for myself. Gladly leaving my frantic urban life behind, I headed to southern Alberta to find Dan on a Blackfoot Indian Reserve where he has been for the past 10 months. Yah, 10 months....I am floored, I can't imagine what has stalled him here?

We discuss wildly into the night about time, the process of art making, about the pressures to produce, about audiences, and about the struggle to journey ahead - 'realities' which are hard to escape. But these issues are plaguing Dan less and less, his new mantra 'what's the rush' rings true in this space. He explains that this so-called 'stalled' time has given him the opportunity to film the four seasons of this prairie land, the time to build bonds with this community and to give back in awesome ways, and to capture the teachings of the Peigan First Nations... all helping to feed the man behind the film.

I find that Dan has found another place to call home, and I understand his challenge to leave this place... the connection to nature here is inescapable, magical, and draws me in as well. I find myself aching to stay, but I do not share the same free spirit of Dan's and reluctantly find my way to the airport.

Looking into my dear friend, I saw someone with a sharper sense of self and strengthened intuition. His community, knowledge, and voice is growing and the film footage ever changing. Dan is creating a film, but rather than controlling the outcome, he is channeling his energy into the journey and letting the message speak through him. I have faith in my friend and wish him patience and perseverance. I think the security of home will be missed, but his journey is greater than this place and I feel he has the tools to move on.

Me on the other hand am struggling to take the lessons learned out West and incorporate them into everyday urban life. It is a challenge to find the balance between societal expectations and the feverish city pulse while still being true to yourself and finding inner peace. An ongoing journey...I am so grateful.